Nikon Keymission 360 camera Review and Test

The photo and video shooting have been a new trend – the camera with a viewing angle of 360 degrees. Samsung Gear 360, LG 360 Cam, GoPro Omni … and now Nikon Keymission 360. Well-known producer of excellent cameras literally burst onto the market with a very interesting product.

In fact, the manufacturer is positioning Keymission 360 not so much as a 360-degree camera, but as an action-camera. And this is very important because, for such devices, there are special requirements. Well, for example, Action Camera (by itself or in the standard case) must be shock-resistant and dust-proof and moisture-protected. And here at the 360 largest Keymission no competitors.

Camera Nikon Keymission 360 Review and Test

Judge for yourself. Module GoPro the Omni – moreover, it is very expensive – is already out of 6 and GoPro cameras, and used it obsolete GoPro Hero 4. While water resistance without external briefcase appeared only in GoPro Hero5.

Samsung Gear 360 is certified to IP53 protection – is not sufficient for any serious dives into the water, or even to travel on an ATV through the desert. And the LG 360 is no protection at all Cam stated.

What does a Nikon? Keymission 360 can dive to a depth of 30 meters without the special cover! And works up to 60 minutes. And its dust-proof certified according to IPX6. The camera is a relatively frost-proof: the operating temperature of -10 degrees Celsius and high-impact shock testing according to MIL-STD 810F 516,5 (fall from a height of 2 meters on the plywood thickness of 5 cm).

However, in order to establish a better impact protection nozzles on lenses that slightly reduces functionality – it has to dive to 20 meters, plus a full 360-degree image can not be achieved with such attachments.

Appearance: Keymission 360

Compared with its competitors (apart from GoPro Omni), Keymission 360 – not so small, and it’s fairly hard – its weight with battery and memory card of 198 g

One of the ends of the chamber has a standard thread for mounting on a tripod (or even notch for alignment). We assume that the lower end.

At the top end – a large video record button, and several indicators, including battery status indicator. By indicators, we shall return later.

On each side – a small button for photos and NFC-tag.

On the other side – in fact, sealed cap (as usual, with two latches), behind which hides the battery compartment, micro-HDMI port, a slot for MicroSD memory cards (under it – switch to “flight mode”) and a micro-USB port.

Sealed cap: Keymission 360

The battery has a capacity of 1050 mAh and gives the voltage of 3.7 V.

Camera Nikon Keymission 360 in a rubber casing

The set also comes a small rubber cover, which further protects the camera angles.

The camera work: Keymission 360

Features of the camera are really great, and the quality of shooting at, but during testing, we have accumulated a number of complaints to interact with it.

But first the good. Once charged the battery and memory card inserted in the camera, it is ready to work (and, in the written instructions the contrary – that the camera should be included – but this is not the only moment where reality is at odds with the official instructions). Pressing the photographing button launches the countdown to 3 – lights next to the video recording button will flash green three times, after which the picture is taken with a characteristic sound.

If you press the button of Camera – sounds and arpeggios indicator lights orange – entry went. To stop recording, press the button again, you can video – lights on for a while will flash and video shooting will stop.

The first problem – sometimes videography stops by itself and not after 30 minutes, as is customary at the camera. Turn off the camera for some their scenario, which was impossible to comprehend for us. Whether you have an overheating (but then why charge when you connect it continued to shoot and the next), or – in response to external stimuli, or even what. As a result, we found a memory card with a plurality of rollers lasting from several seconds to 5-6 minutes. And – of varying lengths.

However, we noticed that the rollers turn in the street much shorter (10-20 seconds) than indoors (30 seconds – 6 minutes). One could say that the camera is afraid of frost, but we tested it at a temperature not lower than the stated -10 degrees Celsius.

There is also a claim to the indicator of the battery charge. It is extremely uninformative. Roughly speaking, when, instead of the green lights orange – means the camera will soon be exhausted. I would like to have more gradations of charge.

Interface standard application SnapBridge 360/170 on Android

But the biggest problem – footage. We came to the conclusion that the easiest way to do this from your smartphone on Wi-Fi. That is, it is simply (no problems there, if you do not interrupt the process and do not touch the smartphone), but very slowly. If you want to upload pictures to a computer, then … probably the last thing worth using in this case – is a proprietary application Keymission 360/170 for Windows / Mac. The application determines the camera does not always if it determined that it receives from the data slower than the smartphone on Wi-Fi, but if you just plug the memory card into a computer reader – for some reason does not allow anything to copy it.

Interaction with the camera’s iPhones ended this
And yet – to the iPhone camera we did not manage to connect.

Quality survey: Keymission 360

The camera produces video at resolution 3840h1920 pixels and photo resolution 7744h3872 pixels. We note immediately that photos and videos – panoramic, so to view them you need a special application.

Video: Keymission 360

During the day and in good light camera gives quite a decent result. In the darkness of the picture loses much of its sharpness and there is a lot of noise. In general, the quality of shooting possible “by eye” compared with smartphones ZTE Axon 7 or LeEco Le Pro 3 with the difference that smartphones do not have a 360-degree camera. The rest Keymission 360 removes either the same or slightly worse.

In total: Keymission 360

Nikon Keymission 360 – not just a good 360-degree camera. It is also a unique action-camera – it is due to the spherical shooting. Unfortunately, at high quality and relatively low price. You can watch the big problems with the ergonomics and control. Agree, shame, when it turns out that the camera shot is not everything that you planned. Oh, that’s that, and she stopped shooting without good reasons – out of space on the memory card. Also, the battery power used up the whole – it definitely should not.

Well, the problem with the connection to the PC upset. Though if to transfer pictures and video to your smartphone – is one problem less. However, we have not managed to connect to the iPhone Keymission 360. It had to settle for Android smartphone with NFC.

In short, we liked the features and quality (and even the price) Nikon Keymission 360 but upset the control of the camera. Its connection to external devices and corporate applications – for both smartphone and PC.